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A Jewish man reading the Torah as part of celebration of Passover at al-Firenj Synagogue in downtown Damascus on Sunday. (AP)
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Last update - 00:00 20/04/2008
Syrian Jews celebrate Passover at only synagogue in Damascus
By The Associated Press
Tags: Passover, Israel, Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria - A handful of Syrian Jews celebrated the start of the Jewish Passover holiday Sunday with prayers at Damascus' only synagogue, saying they feel free to openly practice their religion just as Muslims and Christians do.

"There are only about 100 Jews left in Syria, after the late President Hafez Assad permitted Jews to leave the country in 1992," said Albert Qameo, a Jewish community leader in Syria.

Over the past 16 years, some 3,700 Jews have left Syria for Israel and the United States.
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The remaining Syrian Jews live in the capital, Damascus, the northern city of Aleppo and in the northeastern city of Qamishli.

"Here I was born, studied and worked. Here is our history, and we have our holy sites that we have to look after," Qameo said.

Qameo, 59, led Sunday's prayers, which were attended by only seven Jews at Al-Feranj Synagogue in the old Jewish quarter in central Damascus.

Jews who worship in the Syrian capital do so without a rabbi, after their chief rabbi left Syria for the U.S. in 1994.

"I'm happy in Syria where I perform my Jewish rituals like Muslims and Christians do," Qameo said, speaking in Arabic. "Marking Passover here in this synagogue is a proof that Jews in Syria are living peacefully and in security."

Another worshipper at Sunday's prayers, Joseph Hamdani, said he lives peacefully in Syria and maintains good relations with his Muslim and Christian neighbors.

"I don't feel like I'm being treated differently," said Hamdani, 41, who also speaks Arabic.

While Syrian Jews celebrate Passover, which commemorates the exodus of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, their government has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

Syria supports the Palestinian militant group Hamas, as well as Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Both groups have claimed responsibility for attacks that have killed hundreds of Israelis.

U.S.-sponsored Israel-Syria peace talks broke down in 2000 over final border and peace arrangements. Syria demands the full return of the Golan Heights, the territory seized by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.

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      1.   what a free country 20:29  |  golem 20/04/08
      2.   golem 20:37  |  Edmund 20/04/08
      3.   propoganda tokens 20:56  |  frenz 20/04/08
      4.   Edmund 21:23  |  Mush Roth 20/04/08
      5.   Do the math 21:24  |  Conroy 20/04/08
      6.   This is how Syrian Jews were treated before they fled 21:30  |  Conroy 20/04/08
      7.   re #2 21:34  |  Mikey 20/04/08
      8.   Jews in Syria? Don`t tell hamas! 21:34  |  Liquidator 20/04/08
      9.   #2 Edmund 21:41  |  Yitzhak 20/04/08
      10.   Good news from Syria. They can pray, also they.. 22:45  |  Stephen. 20/04/08
      11.   99% left and this is proof that Jews in Syria are living peaceful 23:34  |  Genuine Tosefta 20/04/08
      12.   Edmond 23:41  |  Pat 20/04/08
      13.   Arabic speaking Jews 23:43  |  Wes 20/04/08
      14.   They must all feel like Aarons. 00:45  |  ? 21/04/08
      15.   Hamas and the Jews of Syria 01:22  |  Eva 21/04/08
      16.   Glad to see this 01:35  |  John 21/04/08
      17.   4.2 million refugees 01:55  |  Shimon List 21/04/08
      18.   No "8" Yitzhak one word for you "RUBBISH" 02:24  |  Wally 21/04/08
      19.   Baath Party Concept 02:40  |  TOBIAS RÜGER 21/04/08
      20.   Edmund Golem 02:41  |  Miransky 21/04/08
      21.   "nice" treatment pf Jews by Syrians 03:14  |  Bob 21/04/08
      22.   Mikey # 6 04:11  |  Wally 21/04/08
      23.   The less the numbers the more peaefull Jews are 07:19  |  Kris Lazar 21/04/08
      24.   # 6 Actually Pals do NOT have the right to vote 07:23  |  Kris Lazar 21/04/08
      25.   Jews In Syria 12:30  |  samer 21/04/08
      26.   #18 Wally 13:46  |  Yitzhak 21/04/08
      27.   Jews Against Jews 19:20  |  Ari 21/04/08
      28.   Yitshak #9 19:38  |  David Israel 21/04/08
      29.   also speaks Arabic. ..!!!!????? 20:12  |  Rami 21/04/08
      30.   One thing is not another thing 14:08  |  Manolo 03/06/08
      31.   interested in emailing the author or article 18:25  |  chrystie sherman 15/04/09
      32.   Reading the Torah without a mynian????? 11:59  |  JC 28/06/09
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